THE OTT ENGINE BLOG

Streaming Industry Insights

Strategy, platform updates, and OTT publishing advice for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, FAST channels, and CTV advertising.

A practical comparison of HLS and MPEG-DASH for OTT apps - device support, latency, DRM, ads, and which to pick for Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV.

Server-side vs client-side ad insertion, the impact on fill rate, ad-blocker bypass, latency, and which method earns more on CTV.

What VAST, VPAID, and VMAP actually do, where they differ, and which to support in your OTT app for the highest ad fill.

Current CTV CPM benchmarks by genre, region, and platform - plus the levers that move yield up or down for independent publishers.

What FCC and CVAA rules require for streaming captions in 2026 and how to ship compliant CC across Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV.

How to build GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, and IAB TCF v2.2 compliant consent into your OTT app without killing ad revenue.

Roku Pay vs Stripe for streaming subscriptions - fees, churn impact, multi-platform unification, and when to use each.

How to build, schedule, and deliver a compliant XMLTV EPG feed for your FAST channel - including timezones, gaps, and validation.

When a single CDN stops being enough for your streaming service and how to design a multi-CDN architecture with smart routing.

Pricing frameworks, anchor-tier strategy, annual discounts, and the math behind a profitable SVOD subscription price point.